Metallurgical furnace.



U. WEDGE.

METALLURGICAL FURNACE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 16, 1913.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

2 SHBETSSHEET 1.

GTUN. D. C.

U. WEDGE.

METALLURGICAL FURNACE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 16, 1913.

1,1 31,449. Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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.UTLEY IVEDGE, 0F ARDMGBE, PENNSYLVANIA.

METALLURGICAL summon.

arnie.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

Application filed July 16, 1913. Serial No. 779,280.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, U'rLnY -WEDGE, a c1t1- zen of the United States, residing in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Metallurgical Furnaces, of which the following is a specification.

' My invention relates to that class of metallurgical furnaces which are intended for roasting or otherwise treating finely divlded ore or other material (hereinafter, for convenience, referred to as ore). Such furnaces usually have superposed hearths and the ore passes downwardly from hearth to hearth throughout the series.

The object of my invention is to provide means whereby the ore may be permitted to pass from an upper to a lower hearth while at the same time the upward passage of gas from the lower to the upper chamber is restricted or prevented. This object I attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of sufficient of a furnace of the type to which my invention relates to illustrate the application of one form of my invention thereto; Figs. 2, 3 and i are transverse sections on the line aa, Fig. 1, and on a larger scale, illustrating diderent positions of the controlling valve; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig.1, but illustrating a different embodiment of my invention; Fig. 6 is a plan or top view of part of the furnace shownin Fig. 5, and Flg. 7 1S a side view showing in different positions one of the valve-operating leversshown in Fig. 5.

in th drawing, 1, 2, 3 and 1 represent successive hearths of the furnace, and 5, 6, 7 and 8 successive treating chambers thereof, the hearths being supported upon an outer wall 9 and having central openings for the reception of a. central rotating shaft 10 which is provided with radiating arm 11 intended for the reception of the usual rabbles, whereby the ore on the hearth beneath is stirred or agitated and fed over the hearth. Some of the hearths are provided with passages 12 at or near the outer periphery of the hearth and alternate hearths are provided with passages 13 at the inner periphery, the rabbles being so constructed as to feed the ore outwardly on those hearths which have the outer passages 12 and inwardly on those hearths which have the inner passages 13,

whereby the ore is caused to pass in a zigzag course throughout the furnace.

In the present instance I have shown my improved controlling valve as applied to the outer passages only, although the inner passages may also be constructed for the reception of controlling valves, if desired. The valve 14 shown in Figs. 1 to 4L is a hollow cylindrical valve with an opening 15 at one side so as to constitute a pocket which may be caused to communicate with the upper portion of the passage 12 in the hearth in order to receive the ore therefrom, as shown in Fig. 2, or with the lower portion of said passage so as to discharge the ore contained in the valve onto the hearth below, as shown in Fig. 1, the dimensions of the opening 15 being such that the top portion of the passage 12 will, as shown in Fig. 3, be closed by the valve before the opening of the lower portion of said passage, so that at no time is any passage afforded for iiow of gas from a chamber beneath the valved hearth to that above the same.

The valve 14 is mounted in a casing 16 which, by preference, extends across the opening 12 and through the outer portion of the hearth and the outer wall 9, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the casing and the valve contained therein can be readily introduced or removed from the outside of the furnace, provision being thereby afforded for the ready renewal of any valve which may be come defective for any reasons The outer end of the casing 16 is closed by a cover plate 17 which has a bearing for a shaft 18 whereby the valve may be readily turned. The uppermost hearth 1 of the furnace is ordinarily utilized as a drying hearth for the ore preparatory to its introduction into the uppermost treating chamber 5 and the valve 1% in said upper hearth prevents the escape of any gases introduced into or generated in said uppermost chamber 5 while the valve in the hearth S in like manner prevents the passage of gases from the treating chamber 7 into the treating chamber 6.

In the furnace shown in the drawing the chambers 5 and 6 and the chambers 7 and 8 are in communication with each other through the inner passages 13 but as before stated each chamber may be independently sealed by so constructing said passages 13 as to provide for the use of valves 14 therein.

Any desired means may be employed for imparting movements of rotation or partial rotation to the valves 14:, the means employed in the present instance for this purpose being as follows: Mounted in suitable hearings on the outside of the furnace is a vertical shaft 19 which is geared by bevel wheels 20 and 21 to each of the valve shafts 18 and is also provided with a bevel wheel 22 meshing with a bevel wheel 23 on a'shaft which is mounted in a suitable bearing 241 on the top of the wall 9 and is provided at its inner end with projecting arms 25, adapted to be struck in succession by a projecting lug 26 at the outer end of each of the uppermost rabble arms 11, whereby, as the latter rotate with the shaft 10, the shaft carrying the bevel wheel 23 will have intermittent movements of partial rotation imparted to it, which movements will be trans- 'mitted through the bevel wheel 22 to the shaft 19 and thence through the bevel wheels 20-21, to the valve shafts 18 so as to cause either a complete or partial rotation of each of the valves 14. 7

My invention can be adopted in connection with a furnace of any desired height and having any desired number of superposed hearths.

In Figs. 5, 6 and 7 I have illustrated a furnace provided with swinging valves in accordance with my invention in place of the rotating valves shown in Figs. 1 to 1. These swinging valves are indicated at 30 and when in one position extend across the openings 12, as shown in Fig. 5, so as to 0bstruct the passage of ore therethrough but when swung downwardly from this position permit of the flow of ore through the opening 12 from an upper to a lower hearth. The valves 30 are carried by rock shafts 31 mounted in bearings 32 on the outside of the furnace, each of these rock shafts also having an arm 33 which is connected by a rod 3 1 to one arm of a lever pivotally mounted in a bearing 36 at the top of the furnace, the other arm of said lever 35 being acted upon by an anti-friction roller 37 mounted so as to rotate in' the upstanding end 38 of one of the rabble arms 11 at the top of the furnace. 35 on which the roller 37 acts is bent so as to normally project into the path of said roller, as shown by full lines in Fig. 7, whereby when said arm is struck by the roller it is depressed, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 7, so as to raise the rod 3 1 and That arm of the lever.

arm 33 and thereby swing the valve-3O from the closed position represented by full lines in Fig. 5. to thejopenposition represented by dotted lines in said figure, thereby permitting; the ore which has accumulated in the opening 12 and on the hearth above said opening to slide from the upper face of -the valve and onto the hearth beneath, the valve being opened to'such a limited extent or remaining in the open position for such a limited time that the flow of ore acts as a lute for the opening 12 to substantially out off the upward passage of gas therethrough.

The closing of the valve when the lever 85 is freed from the influence of the roller 37 is effected by means of a weight 39:hung to the arm 33 or tothe lower end. ofthe rod 34, .ass'hown in Fig. 5'. Y f

I claim:

1. A furnace having a series of super posed hearths with working chambers-above the same,eaoh of said hearths having a valved passage therethrough for permitting flow of ore. from the chamber above the hearth to that below the same, a rotary shaft having thereon. arms locatedabove the topmost hearth of the furnace, and means whereby-the valves of the various hearths can be opened and closed by said arms. o

2. A furnace having a series of super:- posed hearths withworking chambersabove the same,- passages through theihearths each having therein a valve which can' be moved to open or close the passage, and means for connecting the valves of the different hearths for tion. V g 3. A furnace having 3 a: series of superposed hearths with working. chambers above joint and simultaneous opera-V the same, said. hearths having thereinpassages through which ore can flow from an upper to a lower chamber, valves in saidpassages which at all times seal the same effecting the operation of the valvesin the hearth passages at predetermined intervals.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two. subscribing witnesses;

' UTLEY WEDGE.

Witnesses:

KATE A. BEADLE, HAMILTON D. .TURNER.

Collies of this p t may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatent,

Washington, 1).0. v 

